Three were arrested after Mukesh Chandrakar’s body was found on January 3 in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur stuffed in a septic tank.
India’s media watchdog and other journalism organizations have demanded a thorough investigation after the body of a freelance journalist, who exposed alleged corruption in a road construction project, was found stuffed in a septic tank in Bijapur in the central state of Chhattisgarh.
Police have arrested at least three people, including two of his cousins, in connection with the murder of 28-year-old Mukesh Chandrakar.
Chandrakar has written extensively about corruption and Maoist insurgency in the mineral-rich state. He ran a popular YouTube channel called “Bastar Junction”.
The Press Council of India expressed “concern” over Chandrakar’s killing and called for a report on “the facts of the case” in a statement issued late on Saturday.
The Editors Guild of India also said it was “deeply disturbed” by the development. “The safety of journalists – especially those working in small towns and rural areas – is of the utmost importance,” she said in a statement.
“Guild of Editors calls on the Chhattisgarh government to spare no effort in investigating the case quickly and bringing the guilty to justice.”
Chandrakar’s body was found on January 3 in Bijapur after police traced his mobile phone records after his family reported him missing.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, of the Bharatiya Janata Party, described Chandrakar’s death as “heartbreaking” and promised the “harshest punishment” for those found responsible.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi expressed her shock over the incident and demanded strict action against the culprits.
“I call on the state government to take strict and immediate action in this case. The perpetrators must be given maximum punishment, adequate compensation and a job should be given to the family of the deceased,” she said.
India ranked 159th last year on the World Press Freedom Index, run by Reporters Without Borders.
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